Students of the Sage
by MrFloridaMan
Summary: The Sage of Six Paths had a fail safe that kicked in at the start of the hidden village system, and one fateful night a 'weakling' and a 'demon' stumbled upon him, he decided to train the two in not only the ways of the shinobi, but the ways of Ninshu.
1. The Beginnings

_**A/N: Posted 9/5/2018**_

 **Students of the Sage Chapter One**

What makes a someone right to power? Is it might? No, if that were true the Uchiha and Senju would've ruled the elemental nations. Is it ethics? no, then the warrior monks should be the ones ruling in the elemental nations. No, someone earns the true right to power through a set of precepts; some of these precepts are inherent to a person and can't be replicated in other individuals, however generally these conditions exist as such: firstly a strong moral compass that encompasses a good will, a realist view of the world, and a humble attitude at heart. Secondly the will and potential to grow in strength to ensure their morals don't have to be swayed, and finally the right circumstances to have the power thrust upon them.

Right now we find Naruto Uzumaki running on the outskirts of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, from two chunin who are hailing weapons at him. The scent of the forest permeated the area as it had been converted into a park after a travesty that occured six years on the young blonde's birthday, the tragedy had separated many parents from children through the impenetrable veil of death and coincidentally Naruto's own parentage sacrificed themselves to end it, finally since then he was in the orphanage and was kicked out at the age of five. Neither of the chunin, or medium ranked ninja, had anyone close to them die in the tragedy, but were bloodthirsty people who wanted to satiate their thirst by also quenching the villagers hate of the boy.

It had felt like he had been running forever when one of the senbon that the taller of the two threw connected with a vacant area on his back causing him to scream in pain as blood began to leak from the wound staining his one size too big white t-shirt that was emblazoned with the crest of the Uzumaki clan. In the bright yellow blonde screamed in pain yelled "Why are you chasing me I didn't do anything to you!"

The taller of the two, a light blue haired man who wore the standard attire of the Konoha shinobi with the headband tied like a bandana, he spoke "You know exactly what you did demon!"

Just as the man detached the fuma shuriken the blonde cleared the trees of the forest and realized where he was, on top of a large monument known as the Hokage Monument which displayed the four heads of the previous leaders. Although his thought of the leaders was broken when he saw a mysterious gap in the hill, deciding he had little other options he entered the cavern soon after he could hear the two chunin enter behind him. As his eyes adjusted to the light he saw a man standing in the dimly lit cavern who suddenly lunged forward, past Naruto and simply whispered "Shinra tensei"

A blast threw the pair of nin back into the forest the shorter of the two slammed into a tree and the taller landed on the ground. Naruto stunned at what the man just did asked "Hey thanks mister, could you teach me that?"

"All in good time my child, but in the meantime I believe there is a young girl who was following you… You can come out." The strange man said and sure enough a small, blue haired girl who had pale lavender, pupiless eyes slowly crept out from the woods and approached the entrance where the pair were standing.

"H-hello… w-who are you?" The young bluenette asked scared that she was found out by the visibly aged man.

The man smiled "I will tell you, but first I want to know why you've been favoring your left side heavily."

"W-well I-I have bruises from a taijutsu spar with my father." The young girl said the focus of her fear changing to why the man wanted to know. The man's anger flared _I knew this through Kankaku, but why does it make me so angry hearing it from the child herself? How could a father expect a girl so young to even compete with him? It is nothing short of child abuse. Nevermind that I've got to make my move now._

The man moved forward and squatted in front of both children before speaking "Children, sit down and listen carefully, I am a man known as the Sage of Six Paths, I am going to train you so that you may bring this world back to peace. You will be powerful enough to fix the ills of this world."

"Wow mister I can't wait to be strong like Hiruzen-jiji or those Anbu that sometimes protect me!" Naruto shouted remembering a weasel masked Anbu who called him otouto.

The Sage seeing his memories thought _Only if he knew how true that nin's words were._

He shook those thoughts away and went to talk with them when Hinata spoke up "Ano w-why do y-you want me… I'm very wea-"

The Ootsutsuki clan member cut the Hyuuga off "I will not stand for you calling yourself weak! Your clan us the one to blame for your weakness! This is why you will be coming with me, I will make you two strong and teach you to reform this world for peace."

"Hinata, don't call yourself weak, you've got more potential than any of those other girls who fawn over Sasuke, heck I bet you could beat that pink banshee."

The bluenette blushed a bright crimson that would challenge a tomato, her crush was complimenting her, he was calling her strong, finally she had to tell herself _Don't Faint, Don't faint._

"Th-tha-thank N-N-Naruto-kun." Hinata managed to get out.

The man spoke up again "Well with all that in order why don't we get going, Kankaku go into plan A we are leaving immediately"

As he finished a swirl of leaves was visible in the back of the cave as a man apparently left to do as the Sage ordered. In a split second both Naruto and Hinata fell down towards the ground, before they hit the dirt the old man caught them both. As he set them down he looked at them with his tomoed rinnegan active he looked at them both and smiled, he thought to himself _these to children they will change this world, whether they like it or not they will have power thrust upon them, this world needs them more than they think._

Finishing his thoughts bronze chakra started spiralling around the three before it moved upwards and whisked the three of them away to their new lives, the lives of training to change the world.

 _A/N: In this fic the Hagoromo's Rinnegan is bronze and not purple, only Madara's is purple._

 _ **A/N: The General premise is that the Sage of Six Paths is going to train Naruto and Hinata and they will one day return, I'm not sure how the other characters will play out, I have some interesting ideas for Naruto's lineage and his powers that would be regardless of what the Sage gives him (This is gonna be a Sharingan Naruto Fic, He'll get the Rinnegan later, and Hinata will eventually get the Tenseigan, but all of those will be part of what the Sage does and Naruto will already have a Strong Kekkei genkai, if you've read One Glorious Mistake by Jiraiya's Lost Student then you already know what it is)**_


	2. Plan A

_**A/N: Fixed a mistake I made in this chapter, the next chapter is coming (One week to two weeks tops) I got really busy after I initially posted this chapter and couldn't write for a while.  
A/N: Posted on 9/7/2018… I don't own Naruto, Shame isn't it?**_

 _ **This is another short chapter, I'm trying out a shorter format for chapters to see if I can update more often.**_

 **Students of the Sage Chapter Two**

" _Kankaku go into plan A we are leaving immediately"_

 **Hokage Tower**

The night was pregnant with tension, at least to the Hokage it was, it was almost as much as the night of the Kyuubi attack over six years prior. It was as though the darkness knew something great was coming, just as it could all those nights ago, something great but terrible.

A white haired man appeared inside the medium sized office of the Hokage whose current occupant was Hiruzen Sarutobi, Head of the Sarutobi Clan, Third Hokage, and Hailed as the Shinobi no Kami. The elderly man was unsurprised, his former student was the spymaster for the Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Ah Jiraiya, what news do you bring?" The aged Hokage said expecting some news about what his student's spies said.

Jiraiya leaned back on the windowsill at the back of the office, he was a little nervous about telling the Hokage 'his' plan "Well I don't have any, only chatter, but I am going to take a couple of apprentices."

Hiruzen's face twisted in confusion "Who do you intend on taking? I didn't think anyone else would be talented enough to be take… Unless you mean… You can't take him away, our village is still weak from the Kyuubi attack…"

"NO, I'm taking him and Hinata Hyuuga. You don't have any say in it…" Jiraiya dropped a folder on the desk multiple photos spilled out showing pictures of Naruto being chased and beaten by the villagers and other photos of Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata's father, 'sparing' with her as he basically beat her. Jiraiya went on "You've failed to protect his only son Hokage-sama, he's hated for a reason so asinine that if you told them the child's heritage tomorrow they would kiss his ass everyday of his life. Secondly Hinata is beaten by her father, I doubt he'll miss her."

Just as he spat the last words wind whirled through the office and the Toad Sage was gone. Hiruzen was worried what he would do without the _weapon_ of a jinchuuriki, or what Jiraiya possibly knew that made him refer to his own sensei as 'Hokage-sama'

 **Cave on the Hokage Monument**

Jiraiya appeared in a swirl of leaves and turned to the mural on the wall, he looked at the six tomoe in a circle thinking _I'm glad Hagoromo-tousan left this seal for me to get there, it be kinda awkward if I had to wait around for him to come and get me…_

He worked quickly, slitting his left thumb before spreading some blood in the middle of the circle, and to end it he made the half Tiger hand seal, saying to himself "Activate."

A bronze edged, swirling portal opened in front of the tall, white haired man and he stepped through.

 **Other side of the portal**

As the Toad sage stepped through the portal he was greeted by the man he called father sitting in between two torches meditating hovering a couple inches off of the ground. The man opened his eyes revealing the charcoal orbs that looked at the man his quasi son, he composed his thoughts before asking "How did it go with the old monkey Raiya-kun?"

"As good as it could old man, how are the Gakis? Did you heal that senbon in the blonde's shoulder?" Jiraiya asked his quasi father, wondering how they were coping with the heavy change of the environment.

The great Sage looked down in thought "Yes-yes they're doing fine and I didn't have to heal the boy as it seems Kurama took a liking in him, but it also seems that he hasn't awakened his gift yet. I wonder if what we did to prevent it in his father affected him, if worst comes to worst I can always influx my chakra to awaken his gift… Although… I don't think he will need it your little scheme should prove to make him incredibly powerful."

"Yes-yes… the combination of Uzumaki and Senju does indeed make a potent combination if the First was any testament to that… and what of the Girl?" the white haired man asked intrigued as to why he chose the Hyuuga who seemed unspecial even among the clan of Byakugan wielders.

"She has great possibility, but if she wasn't chosen she would dadle in obscurity. I even dare say that she has greater potential than even my eldest's current transmigrant, and when she master's her gift she will be nigh on unstoppable… Second of course to the young boy… Could you remind me of their names?"

"I already told you, but, they're Naruto and Hinata. Got it?" The elder sage nodded his head before Jiraiya continued "Good."

There was a calm and comforting silence which was broken with the Toad Sannin inquiring into the older man's thoughts "So what are we starting off with for their training?"

"We will start off with physical training, as it seems my brother's descendants often neglected that as well as ninjutsu and the boy is woefully underdeveloped for his age. After I find that they are physically fit enough we will begin taijutsu, then kenjutsu and bojutsu, after that we will begin elemental training, second to last training their gifts, and, if they're ready, natural chakra manipulation, finally after that they will be sent back ready to take on the coming years until I decide that they are ready for their final training to go beyond the singular energies." The Sage of the Six Paths said.

Jiraiya hung his head in understanding, bobbing it a couple of times as well, before rising it to ask another question "And what of the boy's tennant? Will we introduce them to one another?"

"Ah there is more to that boy's seal than even you know Jiraiya, but I will say that we will introduce the boy to his _tenants..._ Nevertheless you remember how I had you gather Matatabi from the Cloud village seven years ago?" The horned man explained finishing with the question

Missing the intentional misnomer the Toad Sage roll his eyes up and to the left, an unconscious tick that someone was remembering something, after a couple of seconds of thinking he nodded. He remembered it well because it caused Kumo to feel weak and drove them towards a peace treaty with Konoha.

Although Jiraiya remembered this was kept secret as on the outside the potential relationship sullied after what the Elemental Nations called the Hyuuga Affair. What happened in the affair was a member of the envoy attempted to kidnap the heiress. In the fight to get her back the clan head, Hiashi, was facing a deadly blow when his brother, Hizashi, took the blow for him allowing the clan head to land a killing blow.

The blow back from the event was widely publicized to the political world giving the facade of a poisoned relationship, but quietly an investigation found that the member was paid off by Iwa to intentionally sour the relationship between Konoha and Kumo.

Shaking his head to get off his tangent the Toad Summoner asked "What of it?... You don't plan to?…"

He watched as the man he called father gave a slight nod to him "I plan to seal her within Hinata, I trust you can figure out their summons from their tenants?"

Jiraiya scrunched his eyebrows together in thought, he nodded in confirmation.

"Yes as well as the Toad's, I trust you remember _that_ discussion with Fukasaku and Gamamaru six weeks ago." Hagoromo said seeing the nod in response, it was a particularly heated discussion as the two elder toads insisted that the Toad Contract was all they needed, Fukasaku and Gamamaru had their pride hurt a little as a result, nevertheless they relented to Hagoromo.

After nodding the Sannin spoke "Well with all that set we'll explain everything to them when they wake up tomorrow."

 _ **A/N I'm sorry for the short update, but I should have another up in 1-2 days time.**_


	3. A Rough Start

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter, I'm sorry that it took so long I got sick the day after I posted chapter two, and then college proceeded to kick my ass. Also I would like to post that this has a large Au, but one of the facets is that the Sannin are all born 4 years earlier just so that there isn't all that much conflict with the timeline. Please Enjoy :)**_

 **Students of the Sage Chapter 3**

 _We'll explain everything to them when they wake up tomorrow._

 **The next morning, on the other side of the portal**

Naruto woke up to a strange sight, a wooden ceiling, the ceiling in his apartment was white not the dark wooden slats he currently saw. Then the memories of the last night, his chase by a couple of ninja's for pranking a couple of older kids, meeting that old man in the cave, and Hinata doubting herself, but then... blank. He then sat up and looked around, this definitely wasn't his bedroom, in front of him was a bed high dresser, a desk just past the dresser, and finally a wall on the other side of the desk. Looking to his left his deep blue eyes found a sight he didn't expect: another bed with another person in it, but this person had midnight blue hair.

The jinchuuriki quickly connected the dots and realized it was Hinata, they were kidnapped together. As he thought about how he could get them both out of here another thought, seemingly not of his own mind, entered his train of thought _**If you were kidnapped then why would you be well taken care of?**_

He finally remembered that strange man said he wanted to train them, he must've taken them somewhere to train. The young boy couldn't wait he was gonna be trained to be a ninja. He quickly jumped out of the bed and ran through the door which was just past the wall next to the desk, on his way out he noticed on the other side of the wall was a closet filled with what he could only describe as weird clothes.

When he crossed the threshold of the room a heavenly smell met his nostrils. he quickly followed his nose to what he found out was the kitchen and saw a peculiar sight, two identical men, one cooking at the stove, the smell of bacon and eggs wafting from the stove, and the other sitting at the kitchen, lazily reading a scroll.

"Wha-What's going on? Who are you? Why-why are there two of you?" Naruto had so many questions, but oddly enough not why he was there, or where he was.

The white haired man sitting at the kitchen table put down his scroll and looked at the boy, he organized his thoughts before speaking "Naruto calm down, I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin, I'm your grandfather. The reason there are two of me is it's a jutsu called the Kage Bunshin it creates a physical clone of you. You're here because the Sage of Six Paths and I will train you and the little Hyuuga so you can bring peace to this world."

Despite the heaviness of Jiraiya's words Naruto simply blinked and asked "Hey that's so cool mister! Could you teach it to me? Please?"

"Yes, yes Gaki, I'm surprised you aren't freaking out that I'm your grandfather." Jiraiya chuckled at his willing student and grandson. He was excited that he could get a chance to raise his progeny.

Naruto's brow furled as he took in the information, before he snarled at the white haired man "What do you mean you're my grandfather? Where have you been all my life?!"

Jiraiya raised his hands in defense as he responded "Listen kiddo there was a lot of stuff I had to take care of before the Old man and I could bring you here. After seeing what they treated you like there I heavily regret having to leave you in the village."

"I-I don't know what to say…" What the old man said was finally sinking in, he had a family, he had people that loved him, and the villagers who tortured him didn't matter anymore he had someone to hold on to. He began to sob all the loneliness came pouring out, he stood there letting all of his feelings pour out of him, all of the cold and lonely nights in the orphanage, all the beatings from the caretakers he took, and all the days he spent thinking about his parents. It all flowed out of him, as he stood there a pair of warm arms wrapped around from the front and begin to stroke his back. Jiraiya was looking down at the boy tears tracing the red lines that were on his face.

The Sannin already realized had made mistakes, they were part of what reminded him that he was human despite being created by the Sage of Six Paths, and these mistakes haunted him and would haunt him for the rest of his life. He had missed the childhood of his only son because of his reaction to the deaths of his would be father in-law and brother in-law. Hayashi Senju was the father of Tsunade and was killed alongside his son when a squad of Suna Nin attacked them when they were training along the border of Fire and Wind country. After hearing the news Jiraiya threw himself into training with the Toads in preparation for creating his spy network when he returned ten years later he found out he had a son he demanded that he should be on his team. Although his time with son was cut short due to something that happened during the war which required Jiraiya to stay away from the village. But enough of these thoughts he would be present in this moment for his grandson.

The white haired man placed a hand underneath each of the boys arms and picked the boy up, lifting him to eye level, he looked onto his tear stained face before he said "You must be starving, how about we eat some breakfast?"

Naruto for his part was rubbing his right eye with his small right hand while meekly nodding. Jiraiya walked over to the table, the blonde still in hand, and sat down, placing the young child on his knee before signaling his clone who brought two plates filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon. As soon as the plates and accompanying silverware were placed down the six year old began scarf down food, he had a bad history with meal time once he turned five as his caretakers would often 'forget' to feed him, and this didn't get any better when the caretakers decided to toss him out onto the streets a little while after that.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa kiddo! Slow down you're going to give yourself a stomach ache if you eat that fast." The Sage watched as the kid stopped eating and knew why; he was contemplating whether or not he could trust the man. This drove pangs of hurt through Jiraiya's heart, had he really been this traumatized by the conditions he had to live under?

Inside Naruto's mind there was an intense battle going on, albeit entirely on a subconscious and somewhat instinctive level. As he made his decision a smile crept across the old man's face as his eating began again but slower than before, he had decided that he was safe there for now.

 **Back in the bedroom**

"EEP!"

 **In the kitchen**

"EEP!" was heard in the kitchen and Jiraiya looked down on his grandson and chuckled as he looked up from his food confused.

The toad sage stood up, picking the child off of his lap and setting him down in the chair they were sitting in, immediately the jinchuriki was having an emotional breakdown his abandonment issues flaring to life. Jiraiya bent down and planted a kiss on the boy's forehead, immediately his antsiness went away but his eyes seemed to glaze over as though in deep thought.

Walking from the kitchen the hulking figure of the man walked down the hallway towards the bedroom of the two children, approaching the door his advanced hearing could pick up a small amount of sniffling coming from the room. He looked down in shame as what he and the Rikudo had done basically amounted to justifiable kidnapping, and this reaction was partially expected.

"Hinata, you're safe here." a voice with a deep timber to it resonated through the room, this wasn't her father's voice, his voice didn't hold this much warmth and welcome. After her mother died in childbirth something in Hiashi changed, his voice was then filled with disdain for Hinata, he would train her into the ground then force her to spar with him even though those spars were entirely one sided.

She decided that this life could be better, a small, blue haired head poked out of the blankets on the bed. She saw the hulking man standing in the doorway, his figure casting a shadow that stretched halfway down the room, she could make out his almost glowing white hair and his green kimono. She slowly sat up and lowered herself out of her bed, her legs unstable due to her stress at the situation, slowly she walked towards him until she was about three feet in front of him. Seeing her stop the Sage squatted down so that he was at eye level with her, her pale white eyes meeting his life filled black ones. He gave a kind smile towards her which comforted the scared girl, he asked "Why don't we go eat breakfast, I'm sure that Naruto hasn't waited for us to keep eating."

At the sound of the boy's name, the shy Hyuuga's scared persona melted into one of comfort, so long as Naruto was here she knew she would be safe. She then looked up and nodded to the man, he then rose from his squatted position, turned, and walked out the door Hinata following close behind him.

Naruto was sitting in the kitchen looking at his food, what had he and the quiet girl from class gotten into? He thought to some of what happened the previous night; being chased by those two chunin, that strange man using that jutsu, wait he wasn't the same person that used the jutsu as the previous night, where'd that old man go?

As the final thought crossed his mind the white haired sage and the blue haired young girl entered the room. The boy jumped up onto his chair and pointed at the man "Hey you aren't the same old man from last night!"

"Eep!" Hinata squealed as she came to the same realization jumping away from the man who stood there belly laughing.

"So you finally realized, I was wondering how long it would take you… No I'm not tou-san, but if you want to meet him again how about you two eat up so I can give you a proper introduction?"

Naruto stunned at the man's boisterous reaction could do nothing but nod and sit back down, Hinata upon seeing this from her position hiding behind the doorway followed suit, approached the table and took a seat. After being properly seated a plate was placed in front of her by Jiraiya, who then took a seat at the opposite of Naruto at the end of the rectangular, wooden table. He looked at both of his new students and smiled, _They will be strong, although Hinata will need to work on her timidity before they go back, and Naruto to not be so brash all the time. I wonder if father will awaken their gifts when I properly introduce them to him?_

 _ **A/N: Heh, I know I said that it would be one to two weeks for the next chapter in the last update, but I decided to set my exhaustion aside to get this done tonight (10/18/2018), sorry for the long wait.**_


End file.
